Whether it's St. Patrick's Day or not, everyone has a little luck o' the Irish in them”.
Rumour has it that the 17th of March, aka St. Patrick’s Day, is one of the luckiest days to get married. Incorporating Irish wedding traditions or even simply adding a touch of green to your big day, can really promise that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We’re hopping on the Irish luck bandwagon with a dash full of inspiration. So let’s jump into it, or we should say ‘ Léim isteach’!
Hand fasting Ceremony
Handfasting is a popular symbol of unity and the binding of two lives. Dating back to 2000 BC couples used braided rope or specially dyed ribbon to complete their handfasting. Nowadays, couples choose to incorporate their wedding colours into the ribbons, whether it be a variety of shades or the two or three exact colours of your big day. It’s a special and unique way for couples to declare their intention to marry and love forever in this traditional Irish enhancement.
Wedding Bells
The known belief is that ringing bells is symbolic of warding off evil spirits. They also chase discord away in marriage promising abundance and prosperity. We love the idea of gifting little bells to guests to ward off any extra negative spirits as an extra little measure!
The Lucky Horseshoe
Traditionally bringing a horseshoe along on your wedding day is a well known emblem of good luck. Well before Christian times a horseshoe was thought to represent a crescent moon and was, therefore, a very potent fertility charm! However, more recently, in Victorian times the tradition was established as a way of bringing good luck to the newlyweds for the duration of their lives together.
The choices are unlimited when it comes to using a horseshoe as a centrepiece for the table, a bouquet, or even a cake topper!
The Claddagh Ring
The Irish Claddagh ring first appeared in the 1700s in Galway and features two hands which represent friendship that wrap around a heart which signifies love with a crown over the heart a symbol of loyalty.
Many Irish couples decide to get these Claddagh rings engraved with an Irish phrase of their choosing, such as “With these hands, I give you my heart and crown it with my love.”
Wildflower Crown
Many traditional Irish brides wore a wreath of wildflowers in their hair rather than an elaborate veil, and carried bouquets of herbs and wildflowers to match. We’re not too sure what the science behind this is, but we love how they represent love, fertility, and celebration throughout history and around the world!
Lavender is also a must have! It was the fragrance of choice at weddings throughout Celtic times and beyond, and its rich purple hues appeared in the hands of many brides. Lavender was chosen to represent love and devotion and also for its particularly sweet smell!
A Dash of Green
Adding in a spring of Shamrocks into your wedding bouquet is also a must do. It promises endless good luck in the marriage!
For a dash of extra luck, green cocktails are truly the over the top showstopper. These magic potions are filled with buckets of luck! From cocktails to mocktails or even a healthy green juice, the sky’s the limit.
As you can see, there are so many gorgeous ways to incorporate our infamous Irish traditions into you big day. With that being said, Lá Fhéile Pádraig and Happy St. Patrick’s Day from all of us here at I do, I do, I do xx
